In June 1976, members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) hijacked an Air France flight from Israel to Paris carrying Israelis. They diverted the flight to Entebbe, Uganda where Idi Amin (Nonsoo Anozie) welcomed the hijackers, and the hostages remained there for 7 days. Two of the PFLP members, Brigitte (Rosamund Pike) and Wilfried (Daniel ), battled their inner demons as they questioned the morality of their roles in the hijacking. Meanwhile, in Israel, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (Lior Ashkenazi) considered the option of negotiating with the terrorists. Shimon Peres (Eddie Marsan), the Minister of Defense, had a different idea of finding a solution: he planned a dangerous rescue mission, code-named Operation Thunderbolt, lead by officer Yonatan Netanyahu (Angel Bonanni), to rescue the hostages in Entebbe Airport by plane in the middle of the night.

      The opening scene with the Batsheva Dance Company's performance of "Echad Mi Yodea" is a very bold, provocative and refreshing way to begin 7 Days in Entebbe. The song and its lyrics become more meaningful as the plot progresses. Screenwriter Gregory Burke takes risks by goes back and forth between 2 different viewpoints: the terrorists and the Israeli government's perspective. Those risks pay off because the film remains spellbinding from start to finish. What makes 7 Days in Entebbe rise far above your average crime thriller is that its villains, Brigitte and Wilfried, aren't cartoonish, cookie-cutter bad guys. The film doesn't judge them; it merely shows them as complex human beings filled with many conflicting feelings and a moral conscience that's undergoing a crisis. Brigitte even refers to herself as a humanitarian in one scene. Brigitte and Wilfried's humanity in the midst all of the terror makes them interesting characters who you'll, surprisingly, end up caring about by the time the end credits roll. Their emotional battles feel just as compelling as the terrorists' physical battles.

      Through the stylish editing and the sensitive, smart screenplay, Burke and director José Padilha do a very effective job of building tension which culminates in a rescue mission that's just as nail-baitingly suspenseful as the rescue mission at the end of Argo. To be fair, 7 Days in Entebbe, lacks the comic relief and wit found in Argo, but that's forgivable because there's nonetheless just enough humanism to be found within its story to stop it from becoming a dry, pedestrian film. The film's costume design, lighting and set design become part of its substance while enhancing its authenticity. 7 Days in Entebbe offers its audience both style and substance while trusting their intellect and emotions. It's refreshing to see a thriller made for smart adults these days.

      Fortunately, Burke and Padilha find just the right balance between entertaining the audience, provoking them emotionally as well as intellectually without relying on excessive violence to tell the story. Moreover, it also avoids becoming lethargic like Clint Eastwood's disappointing 15:17 to Paris. Part of the film's emotional depth comes from the terrific cast, especially the charismatic Rosamund Pike and Daniel Brühl. Their nuanced performances feel convincingly moving in a way that brings their characters to life. Others, like Eddie Marsan and Lior Ashkenazi, are also believable in their roles and help to further anchor the film in humanism. At a running time of 1 hour and 46 minutes, 7 Days in Entebbe is a rousing, intelligent and engrossing thriller. It's this year's Argo!